1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the modification of polyols by the addition of epoxy resin and, more particularly, relates to the addition of epoxy resin to polyols at places other than the end of the polyol chain to produce a modified polyol suitable for use in improved flexible foams.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Presently, polyether polyols suitable for use in flexible foams are made by the reaction of glycerine with mixtures of alkylene oxides. Persons skilled in the art of making polyols can add alkylene oxides to polyhydric initiators such as glycerine or to an intermediate molecular weight alkylene oxide adduct of the initiator to prepare products in the 40-60 hydroxyl number range. While generally satisfactory, foam prepared from these prior art polyols are not firm enough for many cushioning applications particulary at lower foam densities. Conventional means of producing firmer (higher ILD) foams such as higher functionality initiators, short chain crosslinkers or fillers lead to other deficiencies in foam properties such as closed cells, poor tear and elongation properties and increased foam density. It is, therefore, an object of this invention to increase the functionality of triols by their reaction with epoxy resins to prepare a new type of polyether polyol which would produce useful flexible foams. The polyols of this invention would also be expected to find application in semiflexible foam and reaction injection molded elastomer.
Other patents disclose reactions involving polyols and epoxy resins. Japanese Pat. No. 71-24,255 concerns the reaction of a glycerine-based 3,000 molecular weight triol with 2% bisphenol A epoxy resin to produce foams with increased hardness. A close examination of this patent will show that the epoxy resin is added at only the end of the triol chain. It will be shown later in the specification that where the epoxy resin is added in the polyol chain will make a substantial difference in how the modified polyol performs in producing open-celled flexible foams with improved load bearing properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,012,984 describes how hydroxyl terminated polyesters, epoxy resins and isocyanate terminated prepolymers may be reacted in an inert organic solvent to produce metal primers and coatings. U.S. Pat. No. 3,010,940 discloses how phenol, epoxy resins, polyisocyanates and alpha-methylbenzyldimethylamine react to produce various polyurethane coatings. U.S. Pat. No. 3,448,046 describes how polyols containing chlorine are mixed with epoxy resins before reaction with an isocyanate. The free epoxides scavenge the HCl in the polyol and do not contribute to the functionality of the polyol. The reaction of an epoxide with an alcoholic hydroxyl group is set out in U.S. Pat. No. 3,317,609. Further, British Pat. No. 968,102 describes how polyols suitable for polyurethane foams may be prepared from the reaction of a polyol, and an epoxy resin in the presence of an acidic catalyst.
Further prior art polyols include those described in German Offenlegungschrifft No. 2,056,080. This patent describes how epoxy adhesives may be made by the reaction of epoxy resins with 4-mercaptobutanol-blocked urethane prepolymers which are made from toluene diisocyanate and various polyols. German Offenlegungschrifft No. 1,905,696 discloses how polyurethane lattices may be produced by chain-extending a urethane prepolymer by using the reaction product of polyethylene glycols of a molecular weight of about 5,000 to 10,000, and an aromatic diglycidyl ether. The modification of epoxy resins by heating them with added polyalkoxylated disaccharides is described in Belgium Pat. No. 785,020.